Improvement in bed-springs



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

NELSON B. WHITE, OF SOUTH DEDHAM, MASSACHUSETTS.

IMPROVEMENT IN BED-SPRINGS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 56,l,32, dated July 3, 1866.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, NELSON B. WHITE, of South Dedham, in the county ot' Norfolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Springs for Bedsteads or for the use of Upholsterers; and I do hereby declare the same to be fully described in the following specification, and represented in the accompanying drawings, of which- Figure 1 is a top view, and Fig. 2 a side elevation, of a conoidal spring made and applied to a slat in accordance with my invention, the slat being turned so as to bring the spring upward. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the spring as separated from the slat.

My invention has resulted from attempts to obviate difficulties incident to the spring as patented by David Manuel on December 12, 1865.

The eye of the spring of Manuel, owing to shrinkage of the slat, will often work loose on it, and as it embraces or goes across the upper surface of the slat, or that on which the mattress rests, it is apt to wear the mattress or soil it by rust or oxidation.

With my invention I dispense with the eye altogether, and form the conoidal spring A at its base with a small bend or stud, a, to enter a corresponding hole made in the slat B. I also apply to the lower or base coil of the spring two or any other suitable number of clasps, C C, which are plates of metal or other material of the form shown in the drawings. They are to be screwed or otherwise properly fastened down to the slat, and are to overlap the base-coil of the spring and extend along a considerable portion or arc of it, as represented in the drawings.

Although under all ordinary circumstances the conoidal spring will be firmly fixed to the slat by means of the clasps and the stud, yet, when necessary, it will be an easy matter to detach it, which can be done by simply compressing the base-coil by a persons hand and Vtact with a mattress when placed on the slat.

The spring is a conoidal spiral, made of iron and terminating at its apex in a straight extension, b, which, when the spring is used, is intended to go into a supporting socket or bar.

The purpose of the stud is to prevent the lower coil from being drawn out of place by its expansion during contraction of the spring. Another advantage of my improvement over the invention hereinbefore alluded to is that it enables me to remove a spring from the slat without first detaching the slat from the bedstead. This is advantageous in case a spring should become either broken or set.

Imake no claim to aconoidal spring. Neither do I claim the arrangement and combination of an eye and a conoidal spring, as represented in the aforesaid patent. Nor do I claim the employment of staples to extend across the base-coil of the spring and to be driven into the slat. Nor do I claim the use of turn-buttons for fastening a spring to a slat or piece of wood. The clasps O C, as made, arranged, and used by me, in connection with the conoidal spring and its projection a, operate very differently from any such devices, as they rest against and overlap or override the base-coil at different parts of it, so that it may be sprung underneath them or sprung out from between them without either moving or removing them from their places relatively to the slat. They hold the spring down as well as support its base, so as to prevent lateral expansion of it. Each is curved also to fit to an arc of the coil, such being of importance in holding the spring in place on the slat. Therefore it will be seen that while they, in conjunction with the part a, confine the spring to the slat, the said part a operates to prevent the spring from being accidentally moved or pulled laterally from between the two clasps', they admit of the removal of the spring from them without at the same time requiring any removal of them relatively to the slat.

What therefore I claim as my invention or improvement is- The arrangement and application of the overlapping clasps C G, made as described,

with the slat B, the base-coil of the spring, and the projection a, to enter such slat, the whole being substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

Witnesses:

R. H. EDDY, F. P. HALE, Jr.'

N. B. WHITE. 

